Forked Roads
by golden.orb
Summary: Sasuke thinks he's the last of the Uciha, besides Madara. But what if that wasn't true? What if there was family just waiting to be discovered? Will Sasuke have a change of heart, or remain on his path of vengeance?
1. Loose Ends

Disclaimer:I (obviously) do not own Naruto, Sasuke or any of the other characters from the original series. However, I do own any and all OCs that may appear in this story.

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Chapter One: Loose Ends

_(8 years ago)_

"_Shhh my sweetheart, my darling," he murmured into the deep red scarf that concealed her face and trailed down the sides of her shoulders. "I will join you soon. Now go."_

x

_(a few weeks ago)_

"_Shhh my sweetheart, my darling," she murmured into the soft folds of velvet she clutched to her heart. "Tousan* will be back soon."_

x

_(present day)_

"Whew," Sakura Haruno dumped her medical kit near a treetrunk as the Short and Mid-Range Battle Unit set up camp for the night. "How much farther?" she asked her companion and long-time admirer Rock Lee.

"We could reach there by tonight if we marched forward believing in the power of seishun**!" said Rock Lee with a fire burning in his eyes.

Sakura rolled her eyes, wishing she hadn't asked. Leaning against the gnarly, old treetrunk, she sighed in relief as her heels thanked her. "I think I'll take it easy for a while, thank you very much. How long before we see the enemy, do you think?"

"Quiet! I think I saw a shadow over there!" hissed Rock Lee, the fire still in his eyes. Sakura smilingly shook her head at Lee's passion for combat. There were some things that never changed. Sitting around the campfire, she recalled a similar setting roundabout three years ago when Team 7 had camped for the night.

Fresh with the excitement of being newly-become Genins, the three of them: her, Sasuke and Naruto, had patrolled the boundaries of their camp, each readying for an attack against an all-powerful enemy that could come crashing through at any moment. When their energy levels had gone down a bit they had made their way back to the campfire, only to find that Kakashi-sensei had polished off all the food, saying it would have been a shame to waste it.

She laughed as she remembered the sounds of their stomachs growling all night that night, then sobered up as she recalled Sasuke's face to mind. _Where is he? How is he?_

And then, _I wonder how Naruto is doing._

X

Far away from the war, in the Cloud Village, Kumogakure, Naruto was trying to sneak away from the watchful eye of the Hokage, Tsunade. "Owowowowowow," he cried, as she dragged him back to the training area by his hair. "Nande***, Tsunade no Baa-chan****?"

"How many times do I have to drag you back, Naruto? When I say stay here, I mean stay here! You need to practice! You think you can beat the Akatsuki the way you are now? If you don't…"

"Well actually," began Naruto, a smirk spreading across his face, "I remember there was this one time an Akatsuki named Pein invaded Konoha and this one _hero_ saved the whole village. What was his name agai…..YOWCH!" he yelled as another tuft of yellow hair fell to the floor.

Tsunade sighed inwardly. It was hard to push Naruto to listen to anything nowadays, not with the world proclaiming him as a hero… But they had to keep him busy, not to mention keep him away from the real reason the war was being fought. Or even the fact that a war _was _being fought. She pursed her lips. "Naruto, I have to go for an important meeting. When I get back, you better still be here, or else…"

"Yeah yeah," muttered Naruto. "I will…"

"Good," said Tsunade, and walked away.

"…be far far away by then!," Naruto completed gleefully under his breath. As soon as the Hokage was out of sight, Naruto headed for the supply room where shuriken, kunai and other useful on-the-move ninja items were kept. Slipping a few of each into his pouch, Naruto left a note for Killer B tacked to his doorframe.

_I learnt a lot, you taught me really well,_

_But I have to go so please don't tell!_

_I have to find someone who's really close to me._

_..._

_-Naruto Uzumaki_

_p.s. I mean it – please don't tell!_

X

Yamato had seen interrogation up close several times throughout his life, but it was only when he was in a dark room, not knowing what would become of him, that he really understood why people cracked. Madara had smirked and told him to wait…

"_You're really lucky, you know?" Madara mused. "You will be one of the first to see the ushering-in of the new era"_

"_We will never surrender!" he had shouted. "We will protect our way of the ninja till the day we die – every last one of us!"_

"_I appreciate the rousing speech, and I honestly regret that it will go to waste," Madara chortled. "Now there's nothing you can do but wait."_

"_Wait for what?" Yamato had asked angrily._

"_Be patient. Your time has not yet come," Madara coolly returned, and slowly disappeared in a swirling votex, the last thing to disappear being his eye…._

His eye! That's it! That's what Yamato had felt earlier. He knew something was wrong, but didn't know what. Madara now had two doujutsu-enabled eyes – one with the Sharingan and one with the Rinnegan. But how? This was bad. This was really, really bad.

X

"…and that's why we need him," finished Madara. "Where are you going? Are you going to train?"

"In a sense," said Sasuke stiffly, walking out of the room, his back to Madara. "I'm going to sharpen my blades. This plan will succeed."

_I'll get them Itachi_, he thought fiercely as he left the room._ I'll kill every last one of those people you died because of, the people who defamed you and called you a missing-nin, the people who obliviously live in happiness today because you sacrificed your respect and your honour and your family to save them. I'll get revenge – for the both of us._

X

Far away, in yet another dark room, a child's cries echoed off the walls. "Where is he? Why isn't he back yet? You said two more days!"

"Quiet Hirohito, Tousan will be back soon. He must be busy. Now be a good boy and sleep," a softer voice, like the sound of tinkling wind chimes, said to the child, as he gradually drifted off to sleep. "He has to be," she whispered with a tremor in her voice.

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Japanese translations:

*tousan: father

**seishun: youth

***nande: why

****Baa-chan: granny

Please review and tell me what you think!


	2. Chasing Conflict

***Note: **Getting closer to the main part of the plot...let me know what you guys think! :)

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**Chapter Two: Chasing Conflict**

_"Forgive me, Sasuke…it ends with this."_

Sasuke woke up in a cold sweat. It was the same nightmare, night after night. But no, it wasn't a nightmare, was it? Itachi _had_ died – right in front of his eyes. Saying these very words to him.

The world and its cruelty had left him with no one to call kin…except Madara. Something about Madara made him want to think twice. In fact, if it hadn't been for Madara's revelation to Sasuke, shattering the truths he'd built his life around, Sasuke wouldn't have had anything to do with someone that…eccentric, that…questionable. But, on the other hand, an alliance with Madara had finally helped him begin his journey of vengeance. _One down, two to go, _he thought grimly, thinking of Danzou, one of the three who had condemned Itachi to the life he had been forced to lead. It had been a moment of pure soul-satisfying ecstasy giving him what he deserved – death.

Getting out of bed, Sasuke made his way to one of the inner chambers of the Akatsuki's hideout. Turning on the oil lamp that lit the room, he sat on the chair that used to be Itachi's and brought a long, slender kunai out of his pocket.

_This is for you,_ Madara had said, handing a kunai to Sasuke soon after Taka had formed. _It was _his_. I thought you'd want to have it. He…he would have loved to be here with you, even if he hadn't wanted you to know his secret. Keep it._

Exhaling, Sasuke got up to go and twirled the short blade in the air once. Catching it deftly between two fingers, he was about to put it back inside when a glint of white reflected in the kunai made him pause. Following the angle made by the diffused shaft of light, he stepped towards the door. Widening a crack in the door frame with the kunai, he pulled out a small piece of paper with his thumb and index finger. It looked like the corner of some piece of paper had gotten stuck in the doorway when the door was shut, and had gotten lodged in the door jamb.

He carried it over to the oil lamp to make it easier to see. There was no mistake – there was some sort of writing on the paper.

X

"….and then a pincer-like attack will force them to the center of the field, where we will be waiting for them…"

Sakura leaped from tree-to-tree just as fast as the rest of her battle unit, but her mind was on another plane. For the millionth time she asked herself how this could have happened, how Sasuke just morphed into some…They were his team members – how had they not noticed the change? Unbidden, a scene played out in her mind...the day the three of them had come together for the first time…the day their team had been formed.

_"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan, and kill a certain someone."_

No…it had been obvious from the beginning. They had just chosen not to notice it. Especially her. She'd been blinded by his charisma. Sometimes she wondered what would have happened if at least someone had survived the massacre that day…if there had been someone for Sasuke to turn to…someone to tell him it was gonna be okay. Would it have made a difference? Maybe, maybe not. She sighed. _I just wish he had had the chance to be happy._

A million miles away, Naruto flew through the trees, making his way back to Konoha. He sensed impending disaster…even the birds were quiet. _I wonder what's gonna happen….I hope everyone's alright, dattebayo!_

Just then, Naruto noticed a small group of ninja, carrying what looked like a palanquin, travelling the other way. _That's one of the Daimyous, _Naruto realized with a shock. He stopped and tried to make himself scarce while trying to pick up on their conversation.

"…apparently gotten worse," one ninja was saying. "I wonder how much longer it will last."

"I've heard…greatest war….history…..Allied Shinobi Forces….Madara Uchiha and the Akatsuki fighting…."

_No way!_ thought Naruto. _Madara actually declared war? Is he out of his mind? And what's with the "Allied Shinobi Force" thing? Could it be that…I have to get back to Konoha fast so I can find out what's going on!_

Naruto was about to leave, when, "…after that Nine-Tails brat and Killer Bee from the Cloud Village…," he heard someone say, stopping him dead in his tracks.

"Ano sa, ano sa!" Naruto jumped to the forest floor. "What's going on? What war? Who's after me and Bee-sama?"

"You! What're you doing here?" one of the men shouted. "Go back now! You're putting us all at risk by being here."

"Me? Putting you at…what are you talking about?" asked Naruto, suddenly confused. "I have no idea what's going on!"

"You idiot! Why did you have to tell him? You know it's supposed to be a secret!" another man yelled.

"Secret? Tell me! I wanna know, dattebayo!" shouted Naruto, getting really riled up now. "It's about me, right?"

"I don't care if it is! I can't…"the second man began…

"SILENCE!" the curtains of the palanquin were pulled back to reveal the Daimyou's face. "The five Great Shinobi Nations have entered into an alliance in order to defeat Madara and his Akatsuki partners. They want to capture all the tailed beasts in order to dominate the world and bring about Madara's twisted idea of peace by uniting the world under one person – him. The war is being fought further north from here. The Alliance was formed mainly to protect you and the Eight-Tails from falling into their hands. You were not informed about this because the higher-ups feared that you wouldn't be able to restrain yourself and would hot-headedly rush off to the battlefield…Hey! Where are you going? I haven't finished yet!"

"Sorry! I have to go - my friends are fighting out there! I have to go help." Naruto yelled over his shoulder. "And besides," he said, a twinkle in his eye, "there's no way they'll win without me!"

X

Sasuke peered closer at the small shred of paper he held between his fingers. The scrap of a scroll looked like the end of a letter of some sort. There were several smudges, making it look suspiciously as if the writer had been crying when they wrote this. Sasuke leaned in even closer and slowly attempted to decipher the script on the page.

"…won't…be….…back….for…about a week…..business…take care….Love, Itachi." Sasuke sharply sucked in air. Itachi had written a letter? To whom? It was obviously addressed to someone he cared a lot about…and why didn't he ever deliver it?

"Feeling lonely?" The soft voice of Madara drifted from the entrance of the room, as Sasuke fumbled, hastily slipping the shred of paper into the sleeve of his long cloak.

"I….I had some thinking to do," Sasuke muttered, sensing it wouldn't be a good idea to talk about what he had found.

But it was too late. "What was that in your hand a moment ago?" Madara asked interestedly. I've been standing here for a while now. You were so engrossed in whatever it was that you hardly noticed my presence at all. For a person with your reflexes…well, it must be a very interesting find."

"It's nothing," Sasuke said, his throat suddenly going dry. "Just a bit of paper I found…I was just checking to see what it was."

"And what was it?" asked the senior Uchiha, not letting go.

"Nothing," said Sasuke. "Just a scrap piece of paper."

"Hmm…," said Madara, apparently not very persuaded. "Well, just remember that you may find many interesting things in this place. Don't dig too deep where it is not asked of you – it will not always be appreciated," he finished, with a steely glint in his one, visible eye.

Sasuke gazed unflinchingly back at Madara until he spoke again, the cheerfulness back in his voice. "Come, why don't I accompany you back to your chambers? It's far too late for either of us to be wandering around alone down here." Sasuke thought he detected just a hint of a warning in that seemingly-friendly gesture. He decided it was best to accompany Madara for now. But he would be back. _I'll find you, whoever you are, _he thought, thinking of the intended recipient of his brother's letter.

X

"He's not coming back, is he, kaasan*?" Hirohito asked in a quavering voice, looking at the young woman beside him for an answer.

"I….I don't know, child," she replied, with a voice attempting to show bravery.

"But he promised me! He promised me he'd be back!" the child cried, lower lip quavering. "Why isn't he coming back? Doesn't he love us anymore?"

"Of course he does, my baby. He does. And always will." Akahana turned away to hide the tears that were brimming over. He was not even four years old yet, yet her son had become increasingly perceptive. It was true – Itachi was late. He had said something about business to attend to, and that he would explain in his next letter, but his letter had never come. It had been three weeks since then. He had never gone longer than three days without sending her a letter, even when he said he was working. So what had happened to him now? He would never abandon _them_, his only family…

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Japanese translations:

*kaasan: mother

Please review so i know what you guys think of it! : P


	3. The Haunted Cave by the River

**Chapter 3: The Haunted Cave by the River**

It was mid-afternoon, and her son Hirohito had gone out to play somewhere nearby. He absolutely refused to clean up after himself, and had run out when asked to do so. Akahana bent down and put away the toys littering their living room one by one. She first sighed, then smiled, remembering how Itachi got their son to clean up.

_...and the last thing you must learn before being allowed to train to become a ninja, is responsibility. You must prove your capability to solve the village's problems by first taking care of your own, _Itachi told him one day, after stepping on yet another "sculpture" made of sharp thorns. He had privately sworn to Akahana that night that it would be the very last toy he stepped on.

_ Hirohito nodded, pretending to understand, and had somehow managed to get the room spotless in the next hour. He had come to their room and stood in the doorway, calling "Tousan, tousan!" Itachi, curled up on their bed with his head on her stomach, had sat up, giving Hirohito his attention. "I cleaned up tousan. It's clean now. Really." Smiling, Itachi had gotten out of bed and walked over to his son, giving him a tender kiss on the forehead. Few people realized how soft Itachi actually was. Hiro meant the world to him, and his biggest regret was that he didn't get to spend enough time with him._

Akahana wondered for the millionth time where Itachi was and prayed that he was alright. There simply was no other option.

X

Naruto was about three days' travel from Konoha when he encountered a group of travelling peddlers coming from that direction. The children were all crying. The women were busy trying to quieten the children, and even the men looked spooked. One man was telling the others to be brave and "face it". Another blatantly refused, saying he had family to worry about, and there was absolutely no way he would venture near it again. "If it comes anywhere near my child, I'll, I'll…," faltered a middle-aged lady, brandishing a ladle. Curious, Naruto jumped down from a bough to find out more.

"Are you all okay? What happened ?" asked Naruto, eliciting a few screams from the women and children. "No, no it's okay…I'm a shinobi from Konoha!" he quickly reassured them.

"Then how come you're here instead of at the warfront?" asked a peddler suspiciously.

"Long story, believe me…," muttered Naruto.

"Tell the boy. If he really is a shinobi, maybe he can help us," said an elderly man, walking out from behind the caravan. "And if not, well…we're not any the worse off."

"Maybe you're right," said another woman thoughtfully. "It couldn't hurt."

"Well then," began the young man. "We are a group of peddlers from the Cloud Village. We came to pitch our wares to the Leaf Villagers, but then the war broke out, and everyone is too afraid to talk to strangers, so we decided to return back to our village. However, just a few kilometers from here, we were passing by a cave near a river when…," he trailed off, the memory of the incident silencing him.

"When what?" Naruto cajoled.

"When _it_ happened," he said.

"Suddenly we were all trapped in a horrifying world….there was blood, and screaming, and death, and…," a second man picked up where the first one had left off.

"You mean like genjutsu?" Naruto asked, furrowing his brow.

"Yes, something like that," the elderly man replied. "We had heard tales of the Haunted Cave by the River, but we never believed it….until today."

"The Haunted Cave by the River…," Naruto perused. "Well, why didn't you go around it?" he asked. "There must be many paths you can take to get back to your village."

"Normally, yes," said a boy who looked to be only slightly older than Naruto. "But due to the war, several pathways have been restricted for civilians. The closest path other than this will take us a week longer to get out of the forest. In fact, we were just discussing whether that might not be a better option than to risk losing our lives here to this _ghost_," he shuddered. He looked just as pale as the other men.

"No," said Naruto angrily. "You _will _go this way. I will make sure that whatever it was doesn't ever show up again. There is _no such thing_ as ghosts. Iku ze*!"

X

Sasuke turned the paper over in his hands for the umpteenth time, but it was still the same. It was a ripped-off piece from an absolutely ordinary scroll – the type villagers used for sending letters. Except, it was from Itachi. If it was such an ordinary scroll, why had Madara reacted that way? No, there was definitely something more. Sasuke had a suspicion that the letter had never reached its destination, and he had a hunch Madara was behind it.

Sasuke had heard Madara leave the headquarters a while ago to talk to Kabuto, who had apparently usurped some of Orochimaru's power as well. They were planning out battle strategies for when the Hachibi and Kyuubi** revealed themselves. It was the perfect opportunity. Whipping on his cloak, Sasuke slipped into the interiors of the cave once again.

When he had crossed the first few rooms, Sasuke noticed that the pathways started becoming more and more complex, almost as if they wished to keep their secrets. Realizing that he didn't have the time to waste on a trial-and-error approach, he whispered, "Sharingan!" Now that his eyesight and reflexes were faster, Sasuke noticed a few differences between the passageways. One in particular had been used more than the rest. Quickly making up his mind, Sasuke raced down that hallway.

Several analyses and twists and turns later, Sasuke reached a small door fitting into a niche in the cave. It looked like the door to a storeroom. Noticing a lock on the door, Sasuke grunted in frustration. It looked like he'd reached a dead end. For now.

X

Naruto crept forward, keeping to the shadows. He took only Morio, the adolescent from the group of peddlers, with him.

"Here," the boy said suddenly. "Just over there is where we were when…," he said, pointing to a cave about 400 yards away on the other side of the riverbank. A bridge made of bamboo spanned the river and was the only way to cross, short of swimming.

Naruto nodded to show he had heard. He put a finger to his lips, and inched across the bridge quietly, beckoning to the boy to follow. Morio hesitated, then followed.

Naruto had hardly planted a foot on the other side, when both boys suddenly saw a shadow dart across the grass, about a hundred yards from where they were standing. Morio had begun to shiver from fright. "Maybe…maybe we should go back, N-N-Naruto kun," he whispered.

"Never! We're gonna get to the bottom of this right now, dattebayo!" Naruto whispered back. Just then, four things happened at the same time. The shadow moved again, Morio shrieked and leaped back, Naruto pulled out a kunai and threw it at the figure, and just as they thought it would hit its target, a loud _clink_ was heard, and a whizzing metallic object deflected the kunai towards some nearby bushes.

Suddenly, Naruto was floating in a blood-red ocean of nothingness. All he could see was red. And then suddenly, a looming pair of red-irised eyes opened in the middle of the vast expanse of red. "You should not have come here," the voice said. "Now it is too late for you. Prepare to die." The voice was that of a woman's. Naruto felt a pressure on his neck. Breathing was becoming difficult. He heard screams and wails all around him…desolation surrounded him. He could feel the kyuubi's chakra leaking out of him…but he didn't have the strength or control to harness it. He felt like his body was on fire. His eyesight was dimming, and his eyes were closing. As he struggled to breathe, his field of vision shrunk until all he could see were those eyes…those red eyes….where had he seen them before? Naruto struggled to recall them.

"Sa…su…ke…?" he choked. And then he blacked out.

X

Something was not right. Sakura could feel it in her core. But what was it? She took a deep breath and concentrated her chakra. Ever since the kunoichi had become a medical ninja, her chakra-sensing capabilities had improved loads. She concentrated all her chakra and reached out. Suddenly she opened her eyes. She hadn't imagined it – there was a huge chakra disturbance a few kilometers away. She was surprised no one else had noticed…but then again, they were all busy planning strategies of war. Actually, she thought, furrowing her eyebrows and concentrating again, the chakra she sensed felt eerily like…

Sakura's eyes snapped open. No way! It couldn't possibly be _Naruto_! He was under the watch of so many people, and….But there was no mistaking it…it was definitely the kyuubi's chakra. Having been injured by it once before, there was no way she could mistake it for anything else. Getting up, she walked over to Rock Lee. "Lee-kun, I'm just going to stretch my legs for a bit, okay? I'll be back soon."

"Then I shall accompany you," said Rock Lee, already on his feet.

"No no…," said Sakura quickly. "I'll be fine. I just need some time to think," she said, reassuring him before anyone else heard him. "Just keep it quiet for a bit, okay? I need to be alone for a while."

"Okay," said Lee, "I understand. Don't go too far, and take care of yourself," he said, his concern showing clearly in his eyes. Sakura felt bad about deceiving him.

"I will," she said, with a half-smile, and left.

Flying through the forest, she thought angrily, _What have you done now, Naruto? When I find you, I'm gonna….chaaaaaaaaaaa!_

* * *

Japanese Translations:

*iku ze: let's go

**Hachibi: Eight-tails

Kyuubi: Nine-tails


	4. Revelations

*******Note****: **I will be updating once every day or two. If I update in between, then more often than not it's because I found a spelling error, and I fixed it and replaced the chapter with a corrected one. I'm a bit of a grammar nazi that way. : P Sorry for anyone I misled, and thanks for reading. Please review! : D

* * *

**Chapter 4: Revelations**

Naruto woke up curled up on a rug in front of a hearth. Groaning, he sat up dazed, and took a look at his surroundings. Morio was fast asleep on the gold-embroidered crimson rug beside Naruto. The room looked like it had been hewed from a rock surface. Still, the room was cozy enough. There were a couple of wooden chairs and a black leather sofa beside the entrance to the kitchen. A couple of toys rested on a coffee table in the center of the room. Looking back at the hearth, his gaze travelled upwards. Above the hearth was a huge tapestry with the Uchiha crest embroidered on it.

A humming sound from the kitchen and the clattering of some pots and pans distracted him from the crest. There was an absolutely delectable smell flooding the house – it reminded him of Ichiraku's. Stumbling to his feet and rubbing his sore neck, Naruto made his way to the kitchen. Peeking in through half-closed eyes, he saw a little kid about 4 years old sitting on the kitchen counter. "It's good, but there's something missing," declared the young budding chef, ladle to his mouth.

Smiling, the woman said, "I knew it! What do you think we should add?"

"Umm…," said the boy uncertainly.

"How about some spring onions?" asked the woman with a grin.

"Yes," the boy nodded. "Exactly what I was thinking. String onions."

Naruto couldn't stop himself from grinning as the lady laughed and added "string onions" to the soup. He took a step inside the kitchen and cleared his throat.

The lady and the boy both turned to stare at Naruto. "Finally!" the boy said, cocking his head. "I was wondering how long you'd sleep."

"Umm…hi. My name is Naruto. Uh, not to be rude or anything, but…who are you?"

"My name is Akahana," the lady said hesitantly. "And this is my son Hirohito." She seemed unsure of what to say next.

"Uh, well, thanks for helping me out, I guess," said Naruto. "Me and my friend got attacked…"

"I was the one who attacked you," Akahana said flatly.

"Oh, well then, uh, I, ahem well….,"Naruto floundered.

"Hiro, go inside and play," Akahana said.

"But I don't wan….," the boy whined.

"Go," she repeated.

"Okay," the kid obeyed, the corners of his mouth turning down.

As soon as he was out of sight, Akahana turned her attention back to Naruto. "I really was going to kill you. But then you said a name."

"Sasuke," Naruto said slowly.

She nodded. "How do you know Sasuke?"

"Sasuke is…_was_…my best friend…then he left. The sharingan you used reminded me of him," Naruto replied. "Speaking of which, you used sharingan. Does that mean you're an Uchiha too? I thought Itachi killed the whole clan," he added in confusion.

Akahana flinched at his brutal portrayal of Itachi…_but then again, it wasn't entirely baseless_, she reminded herself, _even if he _was_ coerced into it_. "Where is Sasuke now?" she asked.

"He got his revenge," Naruto said.

Akahana's world suddenly started spinning. Her eyes widened in shock as her knees went weak, and she fell. Catching her just in time, Naruto carried her over to the sofa and waited for her to regain consciousness.

X

Following the chakra she sensed, Sakura made her way to a clearing in the forest. A ragtag bunch of villagers were milling around like ants near an upturned anthill. "Morio, Morio," one woman cried, as one of the children burst into tears.

"We should never have let him go," said one man. "It was a mistake to trust that stupid yellow-haired fool of a ninja."

Recognising Naruto's description,(_Narutooooo, what have you done _now_?)_, she alighted and asked one of the women what happened.

"The witch took my son," she whimpered. We were trying to go back home and were stopped by something evil at the Haunted Cave by the River. Suddenly this yellow-haired shinobi dressed in orange and black offered to help us, and my son insisted on going with him to help. We waited for them for hours, but they're still not back!" the woman erupted into tears.

"Don't worry," Sakura said, resolve spreading across her face. "I know that pest. I'll bring them back, don't you worry." And before the lady could comprehend what had happened, Sakura took off.

Crossing the bridge, Sakura noticed scorch marks from what looked like a sudden release of chakra. "Naruto," she muttered. "What have you gotten yourself into now?" She made her way towards the cave. Stopping near the entrance, she heard muffled voices. Recognizing one of them as Naruto's, she got into a fighting stance, and dashed into the room, kunai in hand.

Sakura's eyes darted around as she found herself in a cozy living room, with Naruto sitting on the floor playing with a kid while an adolescent and a woman were asleep, one on the rug and one on the sofa.

"Sakura chan?" said Naruto asked incredulously, looking up. "What are you doing here?"

"Naruto," growled Sakura, struggling with the urge to pummel him in the face. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Just then the woman woke up. One look at Naruto, and tears began flooding from her eyes. Just the sight of her child kept her sobs in check, as she asked him to go inside once more.

"NO," he replied defiantly. "I want to know too," and, whether from lack of willingness or lack of strength to argue, Akahana didn't argue with him anymore, but turned to Naruto, her eyes silently begging him to be merciful for the sake of her child.

His heart going out to her, Naruto spoke up. "He didn't know the truth," he started slowly. "All he knew was what everyone thought they did – that Itachi was responsible for the tragedy. We were out searching for Sasuke, but we reached the battle site long after everyone had fled. We were too late," Naruto hung his head. Akahana's eyes brimmed over with tears.

Hirohito, not yet understanding what was going on, inched closer to his mother and looked to Naruto with a question in his eyes. "What happened to tousan?"

"Your father,….he…he's dead," Naruto softly said, looking away.

"What are you….what….no!" Hirohito shouted. "That's not possible! Tousan promised me! He promised me he'd be back! He promised….," he ended with a whimper.

Naruto's and Sakura's eyes met in perfect understanding. They got up, picking up Morio, who by now was stirring, and left the two to themselves to have some time to mourn. As they left, they heard Hirohito's anguished cries of grief. Sakura couldn't believe it. _Tousan?_ That must mean that these are….Itachi's wife and son! She couldn't imagine the pain or suffering…._but the woman must be trying to stay strong for her son's sake_, she thought as she heard a woman's reassuring tone trying to calm the little boy down.

On exiting the cave, they saw the villagers waiting outside. On hearing the wails, they had prepared themselves for the worst. Seeing Morio alive and well, they rejoiced. Naruto quickly explained, without giving away too much, that a very territorial ninja lived there, and that they now had the ninja's permission to pass. After accepting their thanks, Naruto sent the villagers on their way. He then guided Sakura over to a tree. When they had both sat down, he looked her in the eye and said, "There's something I need to tell you."

"Go on," said Sakura fearfully, expecting the worst. Slowly Naruto conveyed to her what Madara had told him, Kakashi sensei and Captain Yamato earlier – the truth about Itachi. By the end, Sakura was in tears. Leaning against Naruto, she sobbed quietly into his shoulder for a while.

Finally, when her sobs had ceased, she looked up to the sky and said softly, "No wonder Sasuke kun hates Konoha now."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "I think I can understand where so much of his hate comes from now – to kill your own brother in cold blood because of a misconception, and then finding out something like this….," Naruto trailed off. "I can't believe the Village Elders would order something like this though."

"I can," said Sakura grimly. Almost three years of studying under Tsunade sama had exposed Sakura to a lot more than just medical ninjutsu – she had found out more than she wanted to know about dirty politics and the behind-the-scenes of the Village Administration. "In fact, it would be just like them."

"Should we go in now, do you think?" Naruto asked after a while, looking up.

"I guess so," said Sakura.

Entering the cave once more, they found the mother and the son both huddled, asleep, in the middle of the living room. Naruto stood there gazing at them sadly while Sakura walked into the house. Two minutes later, she was back with blankets, which the two ninja wrapped around Akahana and Hirohito. As Naruto tucked the edge of the blanket under the boy, his eyes opened a crack, and Naruto thought he heard him murmur the word _tousan_ in his sleep as he curled his tiny fingers around Naruto's index finger in a vice grip and closed his eyes again. Not wanting to wake him, Naruto left the child's fingers as they were, and sat down next to the boy so as not to wake him. Sakura curled up next to Naruto and closed her eyes. It would be a while before they woke up.

X

Meanwhile, deciding against subtlety, Sasuke broke the lock with a single thrust, and entered inside. It was a dusty, cobweb-filled room with a few shelves on the walls, and only a single desk and chair in the center, and on top of the desk was –

"The letter!" Sasuke gasped, and walked towards it. It was the same dull white as the scrap he had found, and he recognized the familiar tilt of the handwriting as he began to read.

_Akahana my dearest,_

_I suspect things are coming to a close for me. Sasuke is coming to meet me. He has grown stronger this time – I can feel it. He has become a man now. I cannot wait to see him, even if only with these gradually dulling eyes of mine._

_You know how I plan on meeting my end. I also know how much you abhor the idea of my deception of Sasuke, and pity what he will go through once he learns the truth. I want your solemn promise that you will not reveal it to him._

_I am not coming back, Akahana, my darling, my dearest, my love. It pains me beyond measure to leave you, condemning you to a life of pain and want, but I am helpless as well. Bring my son up to be the proud and powerful shinobi I have faith he will become, and let him never feel unloved or alone. Please explain to him one day the decisions I was faced with in life and why things turned out the way they did. How I wish to God they had turned out differently! My heart grieves for you and my precious Hirohito. May he be ever benevolent, living out the meaning of his given name._

_Also, watch out for Madara, love. He may turn on you once I am gone._

_And if Sasuke ever comes to your doorstep, in need of family, please do not shun him – take him in and treat him as the child you remember following us around in Konoha. And tell him I loved him. As I love you._

There the letter came to an end and was ripped at the edge. Sasuke held up his fragment to the remaining part of the letter. It fit perfectly. Holding the letter to his chest, Sasuke let the grief flood out of him as tears he hadn't shed until now. _Itachi, why?_ He screamed silently, collapsing on the floor and giving in to sorrow for the first time in the last eight years. _Why?_


	5. Escape

***Note: **Sorry about the delay...I had prior commitments to keep. Review please! ^^

* * *

**Chapter 5: Escape**

"Slowly, slowly, or else you'll burn your tongue!" Sakura warned as Hirohito gulped down his tea, setting it down just as quickly as his tongue began to smart.

"Ouch, it hurts," the boy frowned.

"Told you so," Sakura hmphed, as Hirohito crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out at her. "Meanie."

"Why you…..!," Sakura jumped up to "catch him", as he ran screaming "Naruto niichan!" in a giddy, breathless voice.

Grinning, Naruto appeared from the direction of the kitchen in a flash, chef's hat and all. "Chef Naruto to the rescue!" he proclaimed, grinning. "All of Sakura's neechan's strength won't be a match for….," (he held up the bowl in his hand), "the Soup of Power!" Sakura stood staring, dumbfounded, for a minute as Hirohito burst into fits of giggles, and then joined in the laughter. The sight of Naruto standing there with a lopsided chef's hat with a bowl of sloshing-around water was just too much to take and yet keep a straight face. After a few minutes of mock-battling, Sakura left Naruto and Hirohito wrestling with each other on the rug, and knocked on the door of Akahana's bedroom.

"Come in!" a voice called. Stepping in, Sakura took a glance around the room. The royal blue curtains had been drawn tightly shut, preventing even the tiniest sliver of light from penetrating the already-dark room. The bedcovers were in a shambles, and there were various random articles strewn across the floor or otherwise out of place. Huddling under a thick blanket in the middle of the bed, Akahana looked like she had aged a decade overnight.

"Hi," Sakura called softly. "How about some dinner? You slept through both breakfast and lunch, you know."

"I'm not hungry," Akahana mumbled.

"Naruto made some really fantastic soup," Sakura cajoled. "Just have some. Then you can go back to sleep again."

"Mm-hm-hmm-hm," mumbled Akahana, as Sakura strained to hear. "I'm sorry, what was that?" she asked.

"I said: I'm not hungry," Akahana lifted her head from the pillow and said. "Leave me alone."

"I will," said Sakura. "I'm sorry; I know I'm disturbing you, but you really do need to eat something, not to mention spend some time with your son…"

"Don't you tell me how to run my life!" Akahana's eyes flashed violently as she finally sat up, giving her full attention to Sakura. "I'll do what I want in my house and in my life, you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am," Sakura replied, stunned, but thankful she'd finally gotten a response out of her. Bowing respectfully she turned to leave the room. At the doorway, though, she stopped and turned back and said, "I know I couldn't possibly even begin to imagine the pain you're going through right now, I just want you to know I'm there for you in case you happen to need a girl to talk to." Then she turned back again and left. As she closed the door softly behind her, she thought she heard gentle sobs coming from the room she had just exited.

X

Sasuke double-tied the knot on top of his knapsack just to be safe. There was no doubt left in his mind anymore that Itachi had left behind a family, and that all that was left now was to find them….Find them, and then what? Apologize? Ask for forgiveness? And there was a child…

He mentally shook himself and then turned back to his work. Finished, he picked up his knapsack, containing only the bare necessities, and strode towards the entrance. On reaching, he found the door barred by Madara. "And where do you think you're going?" Madara asked in a soft but dangerous voice.

"Out. I have some things I need to take care of," Sasuke replied curtly.

"Oh, and what would those "things" be?" Madara countered, the end of his sentence a bit higher in pitch.

"That doesn't concern you," Sasuke said bluntly, making as if to pass Madara.

"Not so fast," drawled Madara, crossing over to the door in a flash, standing between Sasuke and the door. "What has come up so suddenly, and is so important, that you would leave without seeking approval, or even informing me?"

"I told you, there is something," Sasuke repeated, crossing his arms, unwilling to divulge any more information. "If I do not wish to tell you, that is my prerogative, and mine alone.

"So it has come to this," Madara said quietly, eyes downcast. "Sasuke, I tell you this only because I care for you and I trust you – we need you in this war. I need you. As your only kin remaining in this world, I ask, no, I beg of you, please stay here and provide your support in this war. I don't know what business you have all of a sudden, but can it not wait until the end of the war? The sooner this war finishes, the sooner world peace amongst all shinobi everywhere can be obtained. We can all go about our individual tasks and duties, and no more innocent individuals will have to suffer for the sake of others, as Itachi did."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as Madara mentioned his brother's name. Exactly how much did Madara know? "All right, I'll stay," Sasuke conceded, not seeing another way out of the situation.

"Good," Madara said approvingly. "Then that's all settled. I will see you tomorrow morning to discuss strategy." So saying, he walked Sasuke back to his room and then left, disappearing in the vortex that was yet a mystery.

Sasuke waited for a brief moment, listening for any sounds. Then, hearing nothing, he grabbed his knapsack and was out the door before he finished blinking.

X

In another room, Madara turned to a hooded figure. "Kill him," he said coldly to another figure. "Kill all of them. He knows too much to live."

The figure bowed in acquiescence and left immediately.

X

"…And, in it goes!" Naruto smiled, feeding little Hirohito the last of the soup in front of him. "Now you're strong enough to go training tomorrow morning. Go to sleep now, and I'll wake you up for morning training tomorrow, okay?"

"Mm-kay," yawned the child, rubbing his eyes with his knuckles. He hopped off the chair and reached over to take Naruto's hand, walking back to his bedroom. Naruto had just finished tucking him in and was about to turn out the lights when Hirohito grabbed his index finger with one small chubby hand. "Story," he mumbled.

"What?" Naruto asked, confused.

"Story," he repeated. "Tell me a story."

"About what?" asked Naruto, even more confused. "I don't know any stories."

"Anything," Hirohito said stubbornly. "Tell me about your missions…tousan used to tell me stories about his missions…," he trailed off, fiddling with the edge of his blanket.

Eyes widening in understanding, Naruto came and sat on the edge of Hirohito's bed, next to the boy. "Well, there was this one time," Naruto began, as the child's eyes lit up with happiness. "My team, Team 7, had just chased down a cat, and we were sick of boring, old D-rank missions…" The light in that little bedroom was on until twelve that night.


	6. On the Run

**Chapter 6: On the Run**

He was half a day's flight from the hideout when he first sensed that he was being followed. The snap of a twig, the crunch of a leaf, the unexplainable whoosh of air…

_Madara underestimates me_, thought Sasuke with a chuckle, as he came to a sharp stop, flipped backwards off the nearest bough and engaged the two assassins nearest him in a battle that lasted all of 6 seconds. Two and a half minutes and several bodies later, Sasuke dusted his hands off and continued on his way. Despite himself, a tiny smirk made its way to the surface. He was proud of himself. So proud, in fact, that he mistook the rustle of leaves behind him as the odd coincidence.

X

Three nights later, the bedtime story thing had become a routine. Hirohito got a thrill from hearing of Naruto's adventures, and Naruto got off on exaggerating them all he wanted. One morning, both boys staggered blearily out of Hirohito's room at 11 in the afternoon, having finally slept at three the previous night.

"This has got to stop, Naruto," chided Sakura with a sigh. "Do you even know what time it is? It's eleven!"

"I know, I know. But he loves it!" Naruto whined pleadingly.

"And apparently he's not the only one," muttered Sakura. "Fine, do what you want," she walked off with a shake of her head.

A few hours later, Naruto and Hirohito were outside for their afternoon training session. "Good!" said Naruto approvingly as Hirohito struck the target with his kunai for the fifteenth time straight. "After all, who's student are you?"

Hirohito grinned without turning around as he let three kunai fly. The count was now eighteen. _Yup, you're Sasuke's nephew alright,_ thought Naruto wryly. _Every single target decimated. If anything, you're better._

"He's improving really fast, isn't he?" asked Sakura who'd come to stand beside him, as if voicing Naruto's own thoughts.

Naruto let out a breath. "You can really make out his ancestry," he said. "In fact, if this keeps up, he won't need me much longer. The only things he really needs a teacher for, I can't teach him."

Sakura glanced at Hirohito's as yet black pupils, and sighed in agreement. "How much longer can we stay here, Naruto?" Sakura hesitantly posed the question. You know I love our little Hiro as much as anyone, but there's a _war_ going on!" she continued, picking up speed. "I sent a message back to Lee-san telling him I was fine and not to worry and that I would join them when my business here was complete, but when will that be? Raising a child is the work of a lifetime – neither you nor I have the time or experience for that! And Akahana's still in shock. Apart from the occasional muttering or incoherent outburst, she's pretty much as unresponsive as ever – she's not even trying to help-"

"Sakura!" Naruto chided, eyes flashing. "She just found out her husband just died. How do you think you'd react?"

Sakura hung her head. "I didn't mean it to sound like that," she apologized. "I can't even begine to imagine what she's going through, but the fact remains – we can't play "happy family" with Hiro forever. And the longer we stay here, the harder it will be to part – not only for us, but for Hiro as well. And god knows he's had enough parting and pain to last a lifetime."

It was Naruto's turn to sigh. "The problem is, I agree with you," he said softly, turning to look Sakura in the eyes. "But there's no way I can leave Hiro here on his own to fend for himself, knowing his father is dead. And with his mother _unresponsive_, who knows how long he'll be on his own? I'm not leaving my baby here feeling he's an orphan. I won't!" Naruto shot back fiercely, setting his jaw firmly as he turned his face to hide his watering eyes.

Looking at him, Sakura's eyes began to water as well. Trembling, she started, "Naruto, I-"

"Shh," Naruto whispered, clapping a hand over Sakura's mouth and pulling her behind a bush. "Someone's here," he mouthed. "I'm gonna go find Hiro." Sakura nodded fearfully as Naruto slunk off into the shadows.

Thunder crackled as Naruto crept over to where Hirohito had been training a moment ago. Storm clouds had set in while he'd been talking to Sakura. Suddenly, a flash of lightning illuminated both Hirohito and a hooded figure behind him. The figure stretched out an arm towards the boy. Naruto had hardly opened his mouth to scream out a warning when suddenly the figure became taut and turned to one side. A second flash of lightning revealed a crimson-eyed Akahana standing atop a small hill on the left. Eyes widening, Hirohito shrunk back into the treetrunk behind him.

_Akahana? Out here? _A gasp from across the field told him Sakura had noticed as well. After his initial shock seeing Akahana on her feet, Naruto snapped back to the situation at hand. Assuming the newcomer was caught in the same genjutsu he had been when he had first gotten here, Naruto dashed over to Hirohito. A shuriken in the shoulder convinced Naruto sufficiently that that was not the case. Coming to a halt, Naruto shouted, "Stay where you are! I'm coming for you!" to a terrified looking Hirohito, who gave a shaky nod in reply. Taking a deep breath and steadying himself, Naruto inched forward, eyes snaking towards the ninja. From the tension in the air and lack of a reaction, Naruto figured the ninja was probably countering the genjutsu. From the look on Akahana's face, it looked like the battle had gotten more serious.

Testing the waters again, Naruto shuffled forward until the tree Hirohito was standing near was only a few yards away. Glancing quickly at the figure once more, Naruto made a break for it and threw himself in front of Hirohito, shielding him, just as the figure threw another kunai his way. Just then, the thunderclouds roiled and there was a sound as if the sky had split. As the lightning struck the earth for the third time, Naruto finally got a good look at the face of the attacker. In shock, Naruto froze. It was Sasuke.

X

In a clearing nearby, a group of men waited for a signal from a wizened old man. On receiving it, they formed a circle and began the preparation for an attack.


End file.
